The foreign minister is right now in the US capital holding crucial talks with Australia’s quad partners. This is a little of what Penny Wong had to say earlier this morning.
Penny Wong
We understand how important this partnership is. It is such an important partnership for the world. This is a very important quad meeting as always, and unfortunately, we meet against the backdrop of conflict and of escalating competition.
Karl Stefanovic
The government will be hoping to come away with this meeting locked in between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump, the all elusive meeting joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Scarr and independent MP, Dai Le. Morning Guys, nice to see you, Paul, you’re first up. Is it all Kevin Rudd’s fault all of this do you reckon?
Senator Scarr
This is really concerning, Karl, that it’s now over five months since President Trump was sworn in, and we still haven’t had a face to face meeting between Prime Minister Albanese and President Trump.
Karl Stefanovic
Is it that big deal? Though?
Senator Scarr
I think it is a big deal. There was this meeting of the quad. Just consider this, the Prime Minister of India has met with President Trump. The Prime Minister of Japan has met with President Trump all the way back in February, and we’re now in July, and we still haven’t had that so important face to face meeting.
Karl Stefanovic
I don’t know what you guys would do without it. I mean, you’re not traveling that well,
Senator Scarr
Oh, it’s, I think it is really, really crucial for that meeting to occur.
Karl Stefanovic
There is obviously understandable consternation about the lack of a meeting. I’m not sure if Aussies care that much, but it needles the government, and it needles the Prime Minister.
Dai Le
Look, it does needle the government, obviously, and you know, to get re elected and with a mandate, and you would think that the President Trump would meet with the, you know, the government that will be spending 368 billion in aukus, that will have some courtesy.
Senator Scarr
Well, how would you handle it then?
Dai Le
I would review AUKUS, and because they are reviewing aukus, and I would review AUKUS, and I would say, Well, you know,we would be very diplomatic about it, and look at how aukus is going to really benefit Australia, from my perspective.
Karl Stefanovic
So you’d say, get rid of aukus to Trumpy, and hope that then that he came to the negotiating table.
Dai Le
Yeah, I would probably.
Karl Stefanovic
All right. What do you think of that, Paul?
Senator Scarr
I think AUKUS is really, really important for Australia’s future. And as we’ve said, the US is undertaking this review of AUKUS, and that’s just another reason why it is so important for the Prime Minister to meet with President Trump.
Karl Stefanovic
Okay, let’s move on now to this very disturbing story. And I didn’t know which way to look yesterday, every parent’s worst nightmare, a Melbourne child care worker has been charged with 70 counts of child abuse. These are allegations, but there has been a breach of some horrendous kind here. How can we as a modern country not be able to have faith in a system where we send our children? How can no one see something child care workers, I would attest to decent, hard working, beautiful people. How do they, with all their empathy, not see something that may have happened? Aren’t there checks and multiple eyes on our kids? The level of alleged deception is sickening, and like everyone else, there are so many questions, and I’ve got plenty of them, Paul, there are calls this morning to create an independent, national watchdog to protect our kids? Would you support that?
Senator Scarr
I think we’ve got to look at every single possible avenue to address this. Karl, it is, as you said, it is every parent’s worst nightmare, and my heart goes out to all the families impacted. We had a case in Queensland a few years ago where someone pleaded guilty to a horrendous number of charges after working in a number of childcare centers and got life imprisonment. So this is not the first incident. So we really need to work constructively together, everyone coming together. This is above politics. This is about protecting our children.
Karl Stefanovic
They are allegations, but I’m telling you right now, if one of those kids was my kid. I don’t know what I’d do.
Karl Stefanovic
I’d be beside myself, I think it’s horrendous listening to that or reading that this morning. Karl and for parents whose children went to that child care, the child care where the alleged allegations took place, I would be very, very concerned, and I think it’s for me, I’d be heartbroken. We need to have whatever we can do to ensure that our children are protected from, yeah, from this kind of allegations.
Karl Stefanovic
All right. Finally, Dai. I noticed you on the 6pm news last night with Peter Overton and taking aim at the government’s multi billion dollar home battery scheme promising cheaper power. I know why you’re doing that, because on this show, you have for months said people are getting their bills in the letterbox right now and on email, and those bills have gone up by a huge amount.
Dai Le
10%.
Karl Stefanovic
And batteries aren’t going to cut it.
Karl Stefanovic
No, look, can I say the 2.3 billion? Dollars on for the home batteries will only benefit people like you and I. Karl, we can afford the batteries,. To have batteries. You need solar panels, because no point in investing in solar, in batteries without solar panels. So therefore you have to put out a lot to have both, but for the majority of middle Australians, the single mums, the pensioners, the low incomes, they cannot reap the benefit of this so called $2.3 billion rebate that the government has promised. So I just think that we need to look at other ways to ensure that working class, low income families can benefit.
Karl Stefanovic
Okay, I think that’s right. And Paul, you’d agree,
Senator Scarr
Oh, absolutely. I think Dai has hit the nail on the head on this one. I mean, most Australians would dream of having an extra seven and a half thousand to invest in a battery scheme.
Karl Stefanovic
Yep, very good. Thank you guys. Appreciate it today.
